Dispenser for folded sheets



May 25, 1937. N. TuszYNsKl DISPENSER FOR FOLDEDSHEETS 5 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Sept. 1l, 1936 May 25, 1937. N. TUszYNsKl DISPENSER FOR FOLDED SHEETS Filed Sept. l1, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. ,Lf z

' i C/ZaJ alzi/'. a c Z ,pM/m M ATTORNEY.

May 25, 1937. N. TUszYNsKl 2,081,564

DISPENSER FOR FOLDED SHEETS Filed Sept. ll, 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 ATTORNEY.

Patented May 25, 1937 UNTED STATES PATENT OFFICE DISPENSER FOR FOLDED SHEETS Application September 11, 1936, Serial No. 100,339

4 Claims.

This invention relates to a dispenser designed for dispensing folded sheets of paper one at a time intended for use by the attendants at gas and oil filling stations, for the purpose of wiping oil drippings or dust from a car or for like service, although the features of the invention are adapted to be incorporated into the structure of dispensers suitable for other purposes.

An object of the dispenser is to afford delivery of folded sheets singly from a stack, each sheet being folded to afford a body portion of the full cross-sectional dimensions of the dispenser and a free grasping tab adapted to be presented through a dispensing slot in position to be grasped between the thumb and iinger of the user. Sheets of this character may be folded in `various `ways and with any number of plies, provided only that a free` grasping tab of lesser dimensions than the body of the folded sheet is provided.

One of the objects of the present invention is the provision of means for properly guiding the folded paper sheets in relation to the dispensing slot so as to present the grasping tab and permit the withdrawal of only one folded sheet at a time.

Further objects and details Will appear from a description of the invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein,-

Figure l is a perspective view of the front of the dispenser with the rst folded sheet therein in position for grasping.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the rear of the dispenser.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the dispenser with the hinged section in opened position.

Figure 4 is a plan view of the bottom slotted panel through which the sheets are dispensed.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of one of the side plates provided with guide anges.

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmental cross-sectional view taken on lines 6-6 of Figure '7.

Figure '7 is a cross-sectional View taken on lines 'I-'I of Figure 1.

Figure 8 is an enlarged fragmental cross-sectional view taken on lines 8-8 of Figure 2.

Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view taken on lines 9 9 of Figure 8.

-Figure 10 is an enlarged fragmental cross-sectional view taken on lines 'I0-I0 of Figure 2.

The dispenser as a Whole comprises a section I0 and a hinged section II, the two sections being hinged upon pivots I2 at the forward lower corners so as to permit section II to be swung down into the position shown in Figure 3.

(Cl. S12-60) Section I0 includes a dished lower panel 3l rectangular in plan having a slot or aperture 3 Ia and turned up lateral flanges 3. Section I0 also includes a back wall 2 of rectangular formation which is offset inwardly at its lower portion by 5 the provision of a shoulder 2a as shown in Figure 7 to fit within the lateral flanges of the bottom panel 3|. The back wall 2 is provided at its upper edgev with an inwardly extending flange 29. The back wall is integral with substantially 10 triangular end walls 9 which increase in width downwardly and fit within the lateral flanges 3 of the lower panel 3|, being provided with an inwardly shouldered offset portion 'I which constitutes a continuation of shoulder 2a. 15

The section I0 has no front wall and is closed by hinged section `I I which is of complementary formation to give the dispenser a box-like conguration. The section I I is so constructed as to have its edges overlap section I0 so that it 20 serves to shed rain and keep the contents perfectly dry.

The hinged section II includes a front wall 22, the lower edge of which overlaps the front flange I of the lower panel and integral triangular end 25 walls 6 which overlap the obliquely disposed front edges 8 of the end walls 9, so that when the sections are closed as shown in Figures 1 and 2 the edges of the section I I will overlap the edges of the section I0 throughout. The end walls 6 30 are cut away to fonn tongues 4a for receiving the pivots I2. The upper portion of the front wall 22 and triangular end walls 6 are provided with inwardly offset shoulders or flanges 4 which engage flanges 2I of the top 20. The top wall 20 35 is provided at its rear edge with an upstanding flange 22a. The front wall 22 is embossed as at 24 to provide a pleasing panel effect as shown in Figure l.

In order to hold sections 'I0 and II in closed 40 relation a latch is employed which comprises a stem I3a and a handle I3. Stein I3a is provided with a rectangular slot Il at its lower portion. The rear wall 2 is provided with a depressed portion I 4, as shown in Figures 3 and 9, to receive 45 the stern I3a. A cover plate I 5, shown in Figures 2 and 9 is afxed over the depressed portion I4 to form a channel for receiving the stem I3a. Cover plate I5 is cut out so as to provide a tongue I6 which projects inwardly as shown in Figure 8. 50 When stem I3a is pulled upwardly by handle I3 into the dotted line position shown in Figure 8 the lower edge 'I9 of the rectangular slot I1 will contact tongue I6 and prevent further upward movement of the stem. 55

In order to lock sections Ill and II together the handle I3 is raised up as far as it will move and section I I is then swung into closed position over section I0. The handle I3 is then dropped whereupon it will assume the position shown in Figure 8 and thereby lock section I I. Since flange 22a engages the inturned portion I3b of the handle it prevents section II from swinging outwardly.

A plate 25 is affixed to the rear wall 2 for providing means to suspend the dispenser on a wall or a post. Plate 25 is bent to provide a pair of inwardly directed anges 21, which engage cornplemental flanges 29 of plate 30, the latter being' previously fastened to any supporting surface by means of screws 28a: passing through holes 28 in plate 30.

Lower panel 3I is slotted to provide an elongated dispensing slot 3 Ia having a lower straight lip SIb and an inwardly protruding upper lip 357. Portion 3Ie of the panel is outwardly protruded to provide an outwardly diverging pocket as shown in Figures 1 and 7. The edges of the lips are folded inwardly as shown at 33, in Fig. 'l to present a smooth, even edge.

The portion 34 of the bottom panel is inturned at its center portion so as to form an obliquely extending flange which is inwardly and upwardly bowed to afford a medial crest 3i, from which point the lip recedes on a curving line, outwardly and downwardly, until it merges into the general plane of the panel near the edges thereof thus forming a corner recession 3Ic at each end of the opening where the upper lip merges into the end edges 3Id of the opening, which edges bow outwardly to connect with and merge into the lower lip. This configuration gives to the upper lip S'I both its greatest elevation and its greatest inward protrusion at or near the center crest, so that this center portion will bear against the body I of the folded paper sheet having a free graspin'g tabE of lesser width than the body to permit the tab to clear the crest 3l of the lip as shown in Figures l and '7.

In order to hold the stacked sheets 60 in proper position in relation to the dispensing opening 3 I a, plates 40 are provided at the triangular walls 9 adjacent the opening. The plates 4I? are provided as shown in Figures 3 and 5 with a pair of flanges t! and 42 which extend inwardly of the dispenser. Flange d2 is bent at approximately right angles to the body portion S3 and flange 4I is bent at an acute angle, so as to extend inwardly within the container. Flange l2 is comparatively narrow in width and extends the length of the plate d. Flange 1I is triangular in shape. Edge IM of the plate is out obliquely so as to be parallel to the edge 8 of the wall 19. A rectangular slot 45 is provided in the lower portion of the plate so as to permit flange l to protrude therethrough thereby permitting the back of plate lit to lie flush against the wall 9.

Flanges lll and i2 serve to guide the edges of the folded sheets as clearly shown in Figure 6. Owing to the inwardly bent flanges QI the forward side portions 52 of the body portion 5I of folded sheets adjacent the dispensing slot are bent upwardly while permitting the tab portion 50 to drop through the dispensing slot 3 Ia,

The construction of the flanges for guiding the folded sheets and the formation of the lips of theV slotted panel 3l permits the smooth withdrawal of the folded sheets one at a time from the dispenser.

By forming the upper lip 3l with an upwardly and inwardly protuberant center of the character described, the surface presented for contact with the sheets will be reduced so that the tendency to catch and hold the grasping tab and prevent its release will be overcome. At the same time the inward protrusion of the upper lip brings the point of support well toward the center of the stack, so that there will be no appreciable tendency for the sheets to sag down into the region immediately adjacent the dispensing slot.

The recession of the upper lip 31 toward the outer edges thereof brings these portions of the lip out of direct contact with the sheets, which contact is confined to the elevated center region of the lip, so that the edges of the sheets will release freely and with minimum friction as the sheets are being withdrawn.

The pocketed formation of the panel adjacent the lower lip is one which provides considerable space for the release of the lowermost grasping tab, and the separated relation of the upper and lower lips with respect to one another affords aV widely extended aperture for the easy manipulation of the sheets.

The formation of the body of the container is one which permits the top or cover portion thereof to be swung down into suspended relation with the upper portion, which completely exposes the back and bottom of the container and thus facilitates the introduction and positioning of a stack of sheets. Although the dispenser as shown is positioned to feed the sheets downwardly without the use of weights, follower plates or the like, it

will be understood that the dispenser might be so positioned as to present the slotted panel forwardly, in which case the folded sheets of the stack would stand vertically with the grasping tabs presented upwardly and outwardly, as is the common practice in dispensers of this general character. In such cases it may be desirable to provide follower means of any well known and conventional form, which, however, form no part of the present invention and need not be specically described.

Although the invention has been described with particularity as to detail, it is not the intention to limit the invention strictly to the device as shown,

since modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. A dispenser for sheets folded to each provide a body portion and a grasping tab of less width than said body portion comprising a box-like container having its lower wall in the form of a panel provided with an elongated dispensing slot, means extending adjacent the ends of said dispensing slot for supporting the edge portions of the folded sheets and to bend them inwardly of the container, and permitting the grasping tab ofthe foremost sheet to extend through said elongated slot.

2. A dispenser for sheets folded to each provide a body portion and a grasping tab of less width than said body portion comprising a box-like container having a bottom and side walls, said bottom wall being in the form of a panel provided with an elongated dispensing slot, a triangular flange affixed to each of the side walls and having its base lowermost and extending within the container over the ends of said dispensing slot and supporting the forward, edges of the body portion of the folded sheets so as to bend them inwardly of the container, said dispensing slot being provided with a lip protruding within the container napkin and permit the grasping tab of the foremost sheet to extend through the dispensing slot in position for grasping.

3. A dispenser for sheets folded to each provide a body portion and a grasping tab of less width than said body portion comprising a box-like container having a bottom and side walls, said bottom wall being in the form of a panel provided with an elongated dispensing slot, two vertically extending flanges affixed to each of the side walls and extending within the container in the region of the dispensing slot for guiding the napkins within the container, one of said flanges being substantially rectangular in shape and the other of said flanges being substantially triangular in shape, the triangular flange having `its base lowermost and extending over the ends of said dispensing slot and supporting the forward edges of the body portions of the folded sheets so as to bend them inwardly of the container, said dispensing slot being provided with a lip protruding Within the container so as to contact the body portion of the foremost napkin and permit the grasping tab of the foremost sheet to extend through the dispensing slot in position for grasping.

4. A dispenser for a stack of sheets folded to each present a body portion and a grasping tab of less width than said body portion, comprising a box-like container having a bottom and side walls, said bottom wall being in the form of a panel provided with an elongated dispensing slot, two vertically extending flanges aixed to each of the side walls and extending within the container in the region of the dispensing slot for guiding the napkins within the container, one of said anges being substantially rectangular in shape and extending at approximately right angles to the plane of the side wall, the other of said flanges being substantially triangular in shape and extending within the container at an acute angle to the plane of the end wall and extending over the ends of said dispensing slot and having its base lowermost and supporting the forward edges of the body portions of the lowermost folded sheets so as to bend said edges inwardly of the container and permitting the tab portion of the foremost sheet to extend through said dispensing slot.

NICHOLAS TUSZYNSKI. 

